Signaling device for mail boxes



Aug. i9, 1924. Lsoz?? J. L. MORRIS SIGNALING DEVICE FOR MAIL BOXES Filed Oct. 9. 1923 @Nowak Patented nog. ie, ieee.

3 TAT-ES" JOHN L. Monats, or4 noxiaoieo,y Nonmnceaomna.

sren'atnvs DEVICE. ron Marzo Boxes.

appiieation filed octobere, 1923. serial No. senseo;

To all whom, tmag/ con-cern Be it lrnown that JorrN L. MORRIS, citizen ofthe United States, residing atI Roxboro, in the county of Person andState ofNorth Carolina, has invented certainA new 'and'useful improvements in. a Signaling Device for ldail Boxes, of whichl the' followingffis a specification; j

This invention' relates to a sig'gnaiin'gdei-v vice for mail boxesv` and has for itszprinei pal object to provide a simple and. el'lieient device which will indicate thepreseneefor absence of mail in the' box and is' especially adapted for use in boxes used in rural mail delivery.

Another important object of the invention is to provide asignaling devicer of the above `mentioned character' wherein means is'provided for holding't-he signaling device in an indicating position when mail is deposited within' the box andi additional means is' provided for returning the' signaling element to a non-indicating"position when the mail or other contents have been removed from the box. f

Another important object of the' invention is to provide a signaling device which is so arranged with respect to the mail box as not to interfere with the opening and closing of the same and which may readily be` pla-ced in position thereon. The' attachment being furthermorey supported on the outside of the mail box so as to be accessible at all times.

A further object of the invention vis to provide a signaling device of the above mentioned character, which is simple in construction, strongand durable and further well adapted for the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings forming ay part of the speeiiication and in which like numerals designate ylike parts'throughlout thesa'me;

Figure l is a side elevation of my invention showing the same in an in'dicating position on' a" mail box.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Figure 3 ,is aytransverse section taken on' line SH3 of Figure' l.

Figure' 4 is a section taken on" line 44 of Fig. l.

In the dra-wings wherein'` for the purposey of illustration is sho-'wn the preferred em'- bo'diment of my invention, tlie numeral l designatesV generally the supporting member which isformed off any suitable'metallic material and has itsflongitudinal'y edges bent inwardlyftoprovide the guide flanges QJa-n'd 3 more clearly shown in Figure 2 ofthe drawing; `For the purpose of securing the supporting member l in position on'the mail box designated' by the letter A, l pro# Vide the extensions-et which extend outwardly' `from the sides of the supporting member adjacent' the forward end thereof, and a rsimilar extension-5 provided inI the rear end ofthe supporting member. These extensions being providedf with suitable apertures for receiving fastening' means such as bolts, screwsy or' the like'` `for permitting, the signaling device to be supported in any suitablemanner onlv a mail box. i

yThese extensions t which, are formed on the sides of the supporting` member adj acent' the forwardend thereof are formedV by transverse parallel incisions inI the flanges 2r` and3` so that the portion-between the parallelv incisions when bent outwardly will form kthe extensions the"4 manner shown in the' drawings. It isto be furthermore understood that thev flange portions? andi?) adjacent they forward endy ofthe supporting member extendinwardly for a`r greater,"

length from thesides as to provide suitable stops 6. The purpose of this` arrangementwill be hereinafter more" fully described.

`dalpted' for slidablemovement on ythe supporting member l and between ythelongitudinal guide flanges 2 and: 3 formedthereon is" the signaling element orlag kdesignated by the numeral 7. This flag 7 is 'adapted to freely slide between the flanges' Qandv and is provided at its rearend'with the side projeetions 8, thepurpose of which/willalso be hereinafter more fully described.k Als further sliown in the/drawings the supporting member l isv of a slightly greater length than` the'. signaling element v7y and the latter is so associated with the-supportingmember' as`4` to' normally have. its foro/"ardt endl extending flush kwith the forward end; offtlie supporting member; Oneend of the 'signall inge-lement or yflag 7 is provide'dwitli ahan# die erh/ook portion designated by the` numeral 9v whereby thel's'amei may bev grasped in order to permit the proper actuation 'of the flag in' the' supporting member: f As' heretofore described the rear end portion of the signaling element is provided therein,

with the outwardly extending projections 8, and it will be seen'that upon outward movement of the flag or signaling element 7 the projections 8 are held against the stops 6 formed adjacent the forward end of the supporting member 1 and thereby limit the outward movement of the flag when extended in an indicating position. For the purpose of normally holding the fia-g in an indicating position, I provide a locking device which will be more fully described herebelow. The above mentioned locking device comprises a lever designated by the numeral 10 which tapers smaller from the handle l portion 11 to the downwardly extending tongue portion 12. This lever 10 has its intermediate portion provided with downwardly extending ears on its respective sides as shown at 13 in the drawing, and these ears cooperate with the upstanding ears 14 struck up from the supporting member 1 adjacent its forward end. 'Ihese ears 13 and 14 are provided with registering apertures through which is adapted to extend the supporting pin 15 and' whereby the lever 10 may be pivoted on the supporting member 1 in a simple and efficient manner. The tongue portion 12 is provided at the smaller end of the lever 10 and extends through a suitable aperture or slot lprovided in the supporting member 1 and the axial coil spring 17 which is supported by the pin 15 normally causes the lever 10 to be held in a raised position at its i handle portion 11 whereby the tongue 12 will normally engage the top face of the sliding iiag 7. When the flag 7 has been moved tothe outermost extended position, the rear edge portion of the flag will pass the tongue 12 so as to cause the same to extend down against the rear end of the flag and prevent the accidental return of the fia in the supporting member.

ecured at one end` to the bottom face of the intermediate portion of the sliding flag 7 is the coil spring 18. The opposite gend of the coil spring 18 is connected in any suitL able manner to the rear end portion of the supporting member 1. The purpose of'this spring` 18 being to normally hold the flag or signaling element 7 in an non-indicating position. i

Normally the flag 7is held within the ysupporting member 1 by means ofthe coil spring 18 which indicates that there is noy mail within the mail box A upon which my device is mounted. When the mail carrier deposits any mail within the box A, the flag 7 slides by pulling outwardly on the handle 9 until the projections 8 come in engagement with the stops 6 and the tongue 12 will then prevent the accidental return, of the flag4 to its normal position within the supporting member thereby indicating to the owner of the mail box that there is mail deposited If desired, the flag 7 may be colored in any suitable manner as to be visible at a distant point and will thereby save the owner of the mail box the trouble of having tocontinually walk from his house to the mail box in order to ascertain whether or not there is mail therein for him.

The same advantage is had by the mail carrier. It being yof course understood that when the person owning the mail box, deposits a letter therein for delivery he will actuate the flag to its indicating position in the same manner as the carrier would when depositing letters therein.

After the mail has been removed from the mail box A, the mail carrier or owner o-f the mail box presses downwardly on the handle portion 11 of the lever 10 so as to cause the tongue to become disengaged from the rear end of the flag and the spring 18 will automatically return the flag to its nonindicating position within the supporting member. l

In this manner it will be seenthat a signal has been provided for use in conjunction with mail boxes principally used in rural mail servicewhich will save considerable time and will also be positive in its action. The simplicity in which my device is operated enablesthe same to be easily and quickly moved into an indicat ing or non-indicating position as the case may be and furthermore does not require the alteration or addition of any partsto the mail box in order to provide for the eiiicient operation thereof. Furthermore by providing a signal of the above mentioned character,'the same may be readily removed from a mail box and repaired whenever necessary in a minimum amount of time and the parts are of such a material as `to permit thel same to be obtained l at a minimum cost.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved apparatus, it will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and efficient means for carry* ing out the objects of the invention, and while I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion, and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles ofthe invention.

Having thus described myV invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with a mail box; of a signal therefor comprising a `supporting member, a signaling element slidably mounted thereon, means for limiting the sliding movement of said signaling element, a spring-forced latch pivotally carried on said supporting member and adapted to be automatically engaged with said signaling element and hold the latter in its indicating position when the same is moved in one direction, and means for automatically returning the signaling element to its nonindicating position upon manually releasing said latch.

2. The combination With a mail boX,`of a signal Atherefor comprising a supporting member, a signaling element slidably mounted thereon, a handle carried by .saidsignaling element for moving the same into an indicating position, a lever pivotally supported on said supporting member and adapted for engagement With said signaling element for retaining the same in an indicating position, and resilient means for returning the same to a non-indicating position.

3. The combination With a mail boX of a signal therefor comprising a supporting member having its side edges bent inwardly to provide guide Hanges, v'a signaling element slidably supported between said guide flanges, ,a handle` carried by the forward 'i end `of said signaling element for'moving the same outwardly-'into an indicating position, means associated With said flanges adjacent the forward end of said supporting member and the rear end of said signaling element for klimiting the outward movement of ythe latter, a lever pivotally supported on'the outer face of said supporting member rand having one end thereof signaling element respectively for return-' ing the latter to a non-indicating position.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature. j

' JOHN L. MORRIS. 

